Rome began as a small village. Under Etruscan rule, Rome did not have its own government until 509 B.C. when Rome finally defeated the Etruscan's. They developed their republic so that power would be divided among the people, so that no one would have all the power like the hated king of Etruscan. The senate held most of the power, consisting of 300 wealthy land owners. Also having power were two consuls. Like the senate, they were wealthy land owners. They lead the government and military, and were limited to one term each in order to avoid a supreme ruler, however Romans were not blind to the advantages of a suprime ruler. In times of war, a dictator could be appointed to have complete control over the government for 6 months.
Later in the republic, lower class citizens demanded rights. They were then able to elect their own officials called tribunes. Although the senate still held the majority of the power, the tribunes were able to stop laws that endangered rights. The lower class slowly forced rights, evenutally allowing them to hold a seat in the senate.
The Empire
War tore the Roman Republic to pieces. As loot came in from foreign land, a new wealthy class emerged. Previously, corruption was controlled by the republic, but as people became richer, greed overtook honesty. Messy civil wars tore through the empire over power, and one great ruler emerged. Julius Caesar betrayed Rome, and instead of disbanding his army after a military campaign in France, Caesar swept through the empire with his army, forcing the senate into making him dictator. To preserve the republic, Caesar was stabbed to death, making the empire fall once more into civil war. Ultimately, the murder of Caesar did not save the republic. Octavian, Caesars grandnephew picked up where he left off, making himself king, just stripped of the title so the Roman people would not be outraged. Following Augustus were a string of emperors, until the division of the empire. Because there was no system to replace an emperor once he died, the transition was often bloody.
A carving of Julius Caesar
Military
Rome was almost always at war. From Carthage to Gaul, the Romans needed a strong army for everything from conquest to civil turmoil. Much of the Romans success can be attributed to the integral roll the army played. In the beginning of the Republic, the army was made of a farmer militia who would fight then return to their farms. They had new tactics, fighting as a group instead of a mass of chaotic individuals. Centuries made of 100 men made a basic fighting unit, usually in a tight phalanx formation with a formidable wall of long spears facing the enemy. As the empire grew, farmers could no longer serve in all the empires wars and keep up with their farms. Professional soldiers then made up the military, being paid wages instead of simply doing their civic duty. The Romans needed to keep up a large army, and so incentives for forengers to join were enacted, such as provinding citizenship upon retirement. This lead to the army being primarily forigners. Less than 1% of the Roman military was actually Roman at one point. When farmers made up the main fighting force, only the wealthy could be in the cavalry or have a command post, but as service became a career, the soldier was able to move up the ranks over time.
Economy
The economical success of the Roman Empire is largely due to their ideal location. Trade by sea over the Mediterranean or by roads created for military use allowed the empire to trade with Persia, Russia, and even India and China. The Romans were largely dependent on agriculture, the majority of the population were farmers. This allowed for the distribution of free grain to the poor, as a large percentage of people were unemployed. Additionally, one third of people were enslaved, making it an essential part of the economy. To trade, the Romans used a silver coin called a denarius during the reign of Augustus. Rich Romans could afford exotic meats and vegetables, and while the poor could not afford such luxuries, a staple in the Roman diet was grain. The Romans also used olive oil an spices to flavor their food; bread was served at almost every meal. Later in the Roman Empire, as their borders ceased to expand, the flow of recources from conquests stopped. This struck a large blow to the economy, forcing increased taxes to cover the loss of revenue which was a large factor in the demise of the empire.
Government
The Republic
Rome began as a small village. Under Etruscan rule, Rome did not have its own government until 509 B.C. when Rome finally defeated the Etruscan's. They developed their republic so that power would be divided among the people, so that no one would have all the power like the hated king of Etruscan. The senate held most of the power, consisting of 300 wealthy land owners. Also having power were two consuls. Like the senate, they were wealthy land owners. They lead the government and military, and were limited to one term each in order to avoid a supreme ruler, however Romans were not blind to the advantages of a suprime ruler. In times of war, a dictator could be appointed to have complete control over the government for 6 months.Later in the republic, lower class citizens demanded rights. They were then able to elect their own officials called tribunes. Although the senate still held the majority of the power, the tribunes were able to stop laws that endangered rights. The lower class slowly forced rights, evenutally allowing them to hold a seat in the senate.
The Empire
War tore the Roman Republic to pieces. As loot came in from foreign land, a new wealthy class emerged. Previously, corruption was controlled by the republic, but as people became richer, greed overtook honesty. Messy civil wars tore through the empire over power, and one great ruler emerged. Julius Caesar betrayed Rome, and instead of disbanding his army after a military campaign in France, Caesar swept through the empire with his army, forcing the senate into making him dictator. To preserve the republic, Caesar was stabbed to death, making the empire fall once more into civil war. Ultimately, the murder of Caesar did not save the republic. Octavian, Caesars grandnephew picked up where he left off, making himself king, just stripped of the title so the Roman people would not be outraged. Following Augustus were a string of emperors, until the division of the empire. Because there was no system to replace an emperor once he died, the transition was often bloody.Military
Rome was almost always at war. From Carthage to Gaul, the Romans needed a strong army for everything from conquest to civil turmoil. Much of the Romans success can be attributed to the integral roll the army played. In the beginning of the Republic, the army was made of a farmer militia who would fight then return to their farms. They had new tactics, fighting as a group instead of a mass of chaotic individuals. Centuries made of 100 men made a basic fighting unit, usually in a tight phalanx formation with a formidable wall of long spears facing the enemy. As the empire grew, farmers could no longer serve in all the empires wars and keep up with their farms. Professional soldiers then made up the military, being paid wages instead of simply doing their civic duty. The Romans needed to keep up a large army, and so incentives for forengers to join were enacted, such as provinding citizenship upon retirement. This lead to the army being primarily forigners. Less than 1% of the Roman military was actually Roman at one point. When farmers made up the main fighting force, only the wealthy could be in the cavalry or have a command post, but as service became a career, the soldier was able to move up the ranks over time.Economy
The economical success of the Roman Empire is largely due to their ideal location. Trade by sea over the Mediterranean or by roads created for military use allowed the empire to trade with Persia, Russia, and even India and China. The Romans were largely dependent on agriculture, the majority of the population were farmers. This allowed for the distribution of free grain to the poor, as a large percentage of people were unemployed. Additionally, one third of people were enslaved, making it an essential part of the economy. To trade, the Romans used a silver coin called a denarius during the reign of Augustus. Rich Romans could afford exotic meats and vegetables, and while the poor could not afford such luxuries, a staple in the Roman diet was grain. The Romans also used olive oil an spices to flavor their food; bread was served at almost every meal. Later in the Roman Empire, as their borders ceased to expand, the flow of recources from conquests stopped. This struck a large blow to the economy, forcing increased taxes to cover the loss of revenue which was a large factor in the demise of the empire.
Scources:"Roman Army." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2011.
http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=roman-army
http://apwhwiki.pbworks.com/w/page/363400/Roman%20Republic,%20Major%20political%20developments
"food in the Roman Empire." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2011.
http://www.hadrians.com/rome/romans/emperors/emperor_hadrian_coins_images.html
"The Pax Romana (Overview)." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2011.